Processing and Varieties of Tea

Processing and Varieties of Tea
Tea has more naturally occurring caffeine than does coffee.

However, the brewing process typically dilutes tea more than coffee, resulting in on quarter to one third less caffeine per cup.

The processing of all teas begins with the Camellia sinensis plant.

Only the top two leaves and the unopened leaf bud from the plants are used.

There are four principal methods for processing the plant, and they result in the major of tea that are the most widely consumed.

These are white, green (or fermented), oolong (or semi-fermented), and black (or fermented) tea.

White Tea
White tea tea is derived by the simplest of the four processing methods and in some classification schemes, is group with green tea.

Only the youngest leaves are picked for white tea, and these leaves still contain short white “hair”.

The leaves are simply steamed and dried and their appearance is relatively unaltered.

Brewing then produces a pale yellow cup of tea with a fresh flavor. Examples of white tea are imperial Silver Needles, Drum Mountain White Cloud, Pai Mu Tan and Poobong White Tea Darjeeling.

Tea leaves for the production of green tea are handled with special care because preservation of the healthy natural, active substance in the fresh leaves is essential for the tea to be at its best.

After picking the leaves are set in hot air wither and them usually pan fried to prevent oxidation or fermentation.

The more oxidation takes place, the darker and more pungent the tea is.

Once fried, the leaves are rolled, giving them a twisted, curly or balled appearance and increasing their durability.

This process also helps regulate release of natural substance during steeping.

The leaves are next dried, using a process called firing, in which the leaves are placed in a heat controlled environment.

The most common approach is to move the tea on a conveyor through a rotating drum.

The drum is heated by fire to a temperature that is constantly controlled to ensure even firing of the leaves.

The goal is to reduce the moisture in the leaves to about 4%. In addition, some sugars are caramelized in the process and the polyphenols undergo epimerization.

Firing stabilizes the fragrance and flavor of the tea. The resulting green colored leaves yield a cup of tea high in nutrients and minerals that is the subject of many medical studies.

During production of oolong team the leaves are allowed to mature longer before picking, which results in fuller body.

Upon picking, the leaves are withered much as they are in green tea. However, after withering, their edges are bruised by shaking.

Bruising mixes the cellular constituents and starts the oxidation process. Bruising is typically repeated several times and the leaves are the spread out to dry.

The next step is oxidation, which continues until 20 to 60% of the tea leaf is fermented, depending on the variety of oolong.

Although avoided in creating green teas, this process is essential in oolong and black teas because it yields the heartier, richer flavors characteristic of these varieties.

Fermentation is finally stooped by pan firing and the leaves are ready for export.

Black Tea
Unlike other teas, black tea is completely fermented, giving their characteristic color as well as a strong, rich flavor.

The first treatment of the leaves for black tea is again withering, followed by rolling. Then the leaves are piled up in cool humid rooms to ferment.

After full fermentation, the leaves are fired to stop the process, and the juices that are the product of fermentation dry on the surfaces of the leaves an remain until steeping.

The processed leavers have budding tips called pekoe from Chinese Pak-Ho, meaning hair, probably a reference to the white “down” that appears in the budding leaves.
Processing and Varieties of Tea